“Synchronized media data playback” in the present context refers to a scenario wherein media source data that includes time sensitive data is to be played back to a human subject at more than one playback device such that synchronization is to be achieved. Such playback may further need to be real-time playback such that the playback is within a predetermined time period of that data being provided at the source. Consider for example a multimedia file having separate audio and video components, and further a plurality of audio components. These components should be played back in a manner that minimizes delay between what the human subject sees and hears, and furthermore that the various audio components are synchronized. Such a relative delay is often referred to as a “lip-sync delay”, and typically a lip-sync delay of at most ±20 milliseconds is regarded as acceptable.
Wireless networks are becoming widespread. Achieving synchronized playback and/or real-time playback of media data transmitted over typical, e.g., standards based wireless packet networks is difficult. Such networks are typically subject to some degree of latency, resulting from the likes of network delays, re-transmissions, jitter and lost packets. Particularly, in the case of wireless media playback, if the data transmission is to be performed using a standard IEEE 802.11 wireless home network using off the shelf network components, then Quality of Service (QoS) between wireless media devices cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, in such a network, wireless media devices often compete with other devices—such as networked computers for network resources.
Various techniques are known for selecting network parameters that allow network resource management appropriate to time-sensitive data, e.g., media data playback. These techniques, however, are not easily incorporated into a simple plug-and-play consumer-oriented media system. Furthermore, the home network might include a third-party, e.g., user supplied and configured access point. Selecting network parameters that allow network resource management appropriate to media playback is even more difficult when the wireless media system uses such a third part access point. Networked devices, for example, cannot generally easily modify the behavior of existing access points. Hence the latency observed across the network cannot be easily controlled by the devices in the network.
There thus is a need for a method performed by a wireless media device for configuring and connecting to a media wireless network.